They white wash history so we believe labor reforms were won solely by waving signs around and going home by the evening. Make no mistake, your rights were paid for in blood.
I grew up with a few old time union people who fought in picket lines and strike action in the 1940s and 1950s in northern Ontario … mining and forestry towns.
One old Irish friend of mine looked like Popeye (the cartoon sailor man), short tough Irish guy with a squint, old hunt cap and always ready to curl his fists for a fight … and the guy was tough as nails with forearms that could crush any man’s hands. He said he was the front of the line in lots of strikes with his brother … during the war, they were too young to join the army so they switched over to the Merchant Marine. When they returned, they joined unions and strike actions on the west coast of Canada in the 1950s … and it was an ugly period for unions … they literally fought a war where people died on a regular basis to get what they wanted … beatings, stabbings, out right murder and assassinations of labour people. My old Irish friend lost his brother to murder one night during a period when they were striking on the docks and fighting against scab labour and anti union thugs … he said things were getting heated and for the companies, murdering people to get the unions to stop was not uncommon.
He always reminded me and so many young people working in big companies and businesses … never be afraid to stand up and fight for your rights … no one … not the government … no one will stand up for you except yourself. If something is not right … the only person that will stand up for you is you.
They white wash history so we believe labor reforms were won solely by waving signs around and going home by the evening. Make no mistake, your rights were paid for in blood.
I grew up with a few old time union people who fought in picket lines and strike action in the 1940s and 1950s in northern Ontario … mining and forestry towns.
One old Irish friend of mine looked like Popeye (the cartoon sailor man), short tough Irish guy with a squint, old hunt cap and always ready to curl his fists for a fight … and the guy was tough as nails with forearms that could crush any man’s hands. He said he was the front of the line in lots of strikes with his brother … during the war, they were too young to join the army so they switched over to the Merchant Marine. When they returned, they joined unions and strike actions on the west coast of Canada in the 1950s … and it was an ugly period for unions … they literally fought a war where people died on a regular basis to get what they wanted … beatings, stabbings, out right murder and assassinations of labour people. My old Irish friend lost his brother to murder one night during a period when they were striking on the docks and fighting against scab labour and anti union thugs … he said things were getting heated and for the companies, murdering people to get the unions to stop was not uncommon.
He always reminded me and so many young people working in big companies and businesses … never be afraid to stand up and fight for your rights … no one … not the government … no one will stand up for you except yourself. If something is not right … the only person that will stand up for you is you.
Blood on both sides, but mostly the innocent.
Perhaps we could change that this time.